


On the Edge of Insanity

by DreamDragon31



Series: Aftermath [3]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Angst, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode 3X18: Riddled, Fear, Hurt Stiles, Hurt/Comfort, Nightmares, Nogitsune, Nogitsune Trauma, Sleepwalking, Stilinski Family Feels, Trauma, season 3b
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-18
Updated: 2016-07-18
Packaged: 2018-07-24 19:59:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7521127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DreamDragon31/pseuds/DreamDragon31
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles feels like he is losing his mind. His symptoms are getting worse and then he sleepwalks out into the woods on the coldest night of the year. What happened after the McCalls found Stiles during his sleepwalking episode? This expands the time between when Stiles is found to his Dad informing Scott, Lydia, and the McCalls that he was sleeping to what happened at the hospital the next day before the MRI test.</p>
            </blockquote>





	On the Edge of Insanity

**Author's Note:**

> This is probably my favorite episode of the series and I wish there was more between Stiles being found and the MRI test. So this is what I believe happened after the McCalls found Stiles in the coyote den, his reunion with his dad, and what happened in the hospital while Scott was at school. I am not a nurse or doctor so other than bloodwork, I have absolutely no idea what kind of tests they would run that would last all afternoon, but I did my best. Also I didn't transcribe the parts that actually aired in the episode. I kinda can't stand that because it feels like plagiarism. Also, this is a oneshot that ends where the episode picks up. Enjoy and please let me know what you think!

All he could fear was terror. The fanged, mummy-wrapped demon that had been haunting his nightmares for weeks now was in his face screaming out a riddle that he couldn't solve in his exhaustion. Then, suddenly, the demon was pulling the animal trap with his leg inside it, pulling him who knows where probably to torture him. There was indescribable pain and he struggled to grab on to something, anything to keep from being pulled further into the black. He screamed 'wait!' repeatedly, begging the demon to stop.

Suddenly, there was an hand under his armpit picking him up off the cold, hard ground. As he was being lifted, he was pressed against a scratchy fabric that smelled clean, fresh. That was not at all what he was expecting from the mummy-wrapped demon whose breath had made him want to throw up. He continued yelling and sought to grab purchase wherever he could including the arm holding him. Another pair of hands grabbed his shoulders and pulled him into a sitting position before reaching around him to keep him from bolting. Not that he could anyway.

"Stiles! It's okay! Stiles! You're all right, Stiles!" a familiar, feminine voice broke through his panic and fear. 

Suddenly, his surroundings changed. He was no longer in a freezing, unfamiliar basement but instead, in the freezing, dark woods of the Beacon Hills Preserve. In front of him was Asshole #1, Rafael McCall. He was breathing hard like he had been fighting him. Behind him was his surrogate mother, Melissa McCall. He was sitting in her lap now and she had an arm around him, the other on his shoulder. He looked back at her, breath catching with his eyes open wide in shock.

"Stiles, you're all right," she said softly.

Stiles panted hard, his right hand coming up to grasp his shirt. He was on the verge of a panic attack and he struggled to contain his breathing. Melissa's hand covered his and she squeezed it gently, trying to stop him from clenching his shirt.

"You're okay," she repeated, softly in his ear. 

McCall knelt in front of them causing Stiles to flinch back at the sudden shadow. He observed the teen for a second. "Breathe, Stiles. You're safe now." He looked at his ex-wife behind the teen. "We need to get him out of here, Melissa, and someplace warm."

The nurse agreed. She could feel the iciness of his skin through his thin t-shirt and his thin pants as well as the tremors that were wracking his body. McCall removed his jacket and handed it to his ex-wife. Stiles focused on a point past the agent, sucking in air in a desperate attempt to calm down. He still had no idea what had happened, how he got there or why the McCalls were there. He just had the sickening feeling that he had failed. Melissa let go of his hand and shoulder and made at attempt to wrap the jacket around him, but the teen flinched again at the sudden movement around him.

"Stiles," McCall called gently, trying to grab his attention. "Hey Stiles. Kid, look at me." Still struggling through the panic, Stiles blinked and turned slowly to face the agent. "We need to get you warm, okay? Melissa is going to put a jacket on and then we need to get you back to the car."

McCall surprised himself with speaking as calmly and gently as he did. It had been years since he and the teen had gotten along and he had helped care for the kid when his mom had been ill. As much as he hated to admit it, he was trying to channel Stilinski now. He knew Stiles adored his father and knew that in the teen's panic state, speaking to him the way the Sheriff would was probably best way to calm him down.

Stiles kept his wide brown eyes on the agent and nodded slowly. This time with her ex-husband's help, Melissa wrapped the suit jacket around him, maneuvering his arms through the sleeves. McCall folded it tight across his chest, then looked Stiles in the eyes again. Now that the teen was no longer panicking, Melissa shifted out from behind him. She knelt in front of him beside McCall and reached out to gently touch his cheek.

"Stiles, sweetie," she called for his attention. "I need to look at your feet before we go, okay? To make sure you can walk on them."

The teen turned his eyes onto her and with tears welling up in them, nodded slowly. McCall kept a hand on his shoulder to steady him while the nurse gently pulled his feet toward her. Stiles winced as the memory of the dream came back to him but she only gently wiped away some of the dirt and mud.

"He has a few cuts but they’re minor. I'm more worried about him possibly having frostbite than anything," she told McCall.

"Can he walk?"

She nodded. "With some help, I think we can get him back to the car with no issue."

"Then let's get him out of here." McCall turned his attention back to the teen. He moved forward to wrap an arm around his waist. "Come on, kid. Let's get you warm and back to your dad."

Stiles looked at him surprised, as he and Melissa slowly helped the teen stand. He swayed from shock and light-headedness but the agent kept his one good arm around his thin waist. Nothing felt real and he was so confused. Melissa also wrapped an arm around him as well while using her other hand to hold the flashlight and the pair led him away from the spot that he could now see was the coyote den from only a few weeks ago. He sniffled, trying to reign in his tears, as they walked up the slope. McCall's car with flashing lights was sitting on above the den. Melissa went first, tugging Stiles up behind her with the agent keeping a steadying hand on his back. She then helped her ex-husband climb up behind them.

Stiles was gently pushed into the back seat while Melissa climbed in beside him. McCall got in the driver's seat and immediately turned the car on, hitting the heater to warm up the car. He shut his door and looked back at the pair behind him. Stiles had hunched over as soon as he sat down, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. Melissa was rubbing his back gently. She looked up and shared a look with the older man. McCall turned back and pulled out, driving as fast as he dared.

"The hospital, Rafe," the nurse said softly behind him. "He needs to be looked over."

Stiles didn't say anything, only took in a deep shuddering breath. McCall pulled out his phone after he pulled onto the paved road running through the preserve. He hit a number and waited for the answer.

"Stilinski? Melissa and I found him. Yeah." He looked in the rearview mirror as Melissa pulled the upset teen into her arms, running a hand over his head then his arms in an attempt to warm him. He seemed barely aware of what was going on around him. "That I'm not sure about. We're taking him to the hospital. Meet us there. He needs you. Okay."

He hit the end button and glanced in the rearview mirror again, catching his ex-wife's eyes. "He's going to meet us there. How's the kid?"  
 Stiles whimpered, letting out a choking sob. "I don't know, Rafe. He's so cold and out of it. We need to warm him up slowly."

McCall nodded and turned down the heat so it was a little cooler and not as stifling. He hit the gas pedal as he pulled onto the main road, making sure the lights were blaring the entire way. As he drove, he kept an eye on the pair behind him. Stiles stared at a point on the carseat in front of him, barely responding at all to Melissa's gentle questions or her ministrations. He trembled violently in McCall's jacket and tears were leaking down his face. Melissa, for her part, continually checked Stiles's breathing and pulse, keeping an eye out for signs of trouble. Within half an hour, the agent pulled up to the ER and Melissa slid out, disappearing into the hospital before reappearing with an orderly and a wheelchair.

McCall came around to the back and helped slide the unresponsive teen out of the car and deposit him in the wheelchair. While Stiles was pressed against his shoulder, he heard him mutter over and over, "Don't let them in. Don't let it in."

He stepped back confused and looked at Stiles. Melissa ordered the orderly to get him inside into a bed and to page Dr. Gardiner before turning back to her ex-husband. "I'm going to stay with him and make sure he's okay. Will you wait for John? He shouldn't be too far behind us."

McCall nodded. "I'll park the car and wait for him here in the entrance."

"Thanks, Rafe," Melissa said softly, before running off after the teen.

McCall watched her go and sighed. He saw the fear in her eyes and knew she recognized the symptoms in the kid. They had seen it before. As much as he put on a front that he didn't like the boy, he did help raise him while Claudia Stilinski was ill and then after her death before his own awful mistake. Plus, the kid was extremely protective of Scott and Melissa and he couldn't help but be grudgingly grateful for that. He hoped they were wrong about their suspicions. No kid deserved to go through that.

 

* * *

 

John Stilinski probably broke more than half of the traffic laws in trying to get to Beacon Hills Memorial. But that's why he had the sirens and the lights wailing. Scott and Lydia held on tight in the back and he had little interest in slowing. Not until he reached his son at least. He was still trying to wrap his head over how this had happened at all. When he had left for his night shift, Stiles had been doing homework at his desk. Next thing he knew, Scott was telling him about the call his son had made and that he was missing. His jeep was gone and apparently he was only in his sleep clothes. He had told his friend he was in some industrial building's basment, but then McCall had called him. He and Melissa had found Stiles in the coyote den of all places. Right now, he couldn't imagine how scared his son.

Finally, he saw the all too familiar lights of Beacon Hills Memorial and he pulled into the parking lot by the ER. John, Scott, and Lydia all jumped out and rushed toward the ER where he spotted McCall pacing just inside the doors. The FBI agent held up his hands when the three barreled toward him.

"The doctor and Melissa are with him right now," he said. "Stilinski, Melissa said to just give them a few minutes and they will come get you."

"Is he alright? How did you find him?" The questions came fast and furious from the Sheriff's mouth. He did not like being kept from his son, especially if he was in pain or hurting.

"I honestly can't answer how he's doing," McCall replied, shaking his head. "As for finding him, luck. Pure luck."

Melissa came out and motioned for the little group to follow her. John looked back through the doors worriedly and the nurse put her hand on his arm, leading him away from the doors.

"Dr. Gardiner is still with him. We're going to get him settled into a room and then, John, you can be with him. Just give us a few minutes, okay?"

"Melissa, how is he?" John asked anxiously.

She sighed. "Scared. In shock. He needs you to be calm when you see him."

He nodded and the nurse told the group to wait on the third floor. Scott and Lydia sat in some chairs a bit of ways down the hallway Melissa had told them they would be putting Stiles. McCall leaned against the wall beside them, readjusting his sling. John paced in front of the teens. None of them saw the nurses wheel a silent Stiles into the room as they were too engrossed in their own thoughts, trying to puzzle out what had happneed. After ten minutes, Melissa came for John.

In front of the closed door, she paused. "John, remember. Stiles is as scared as we are. Probably more so."

Gardiner stepped out at that moment and shook the Sheriff's hand who asked "How is my son?"

"Stressed," Gardiner answered. "He does have mild hypothermia and I want to keep him at least overnight. He's lucky he doesn't have frostbite anywhere. Stiles is also suffering from exhaustion and shock. Right now, it is extremely important that he rest and no stress is added. I'll examine him again in the morning and see where we are."

John nodded. "Thank you Dr. Gardiner. Is he sleeping now or can I go see him?"

"He's still awake. I think he wanted to see you before he sleeps. Just keep it gentle with him."

Melissa rubbed his arm as he nodded again and finally, opened the door to see the teen. He shut it gently behind him as Melissa and Gardiner walked away. His heart broke the second his eyes rested on his son.

Stiles was sitting in the hospital bed, an extra blanket thrown over his legs and an IV in one of his hands. He was hunched over, the heels of his hands pressed hard against his eyes, and was shaking as he took in shuddering breaths. John could hear the sobs from the doorway. For the first time, he could see how thin his son had gotten the last few months and it only reminded him of how much he and his son had been through lately. And that it wasn't over yet. Without a word, he approached the bed, then sat gently on the edge of the bed.

"Stiles," he called out, softly. Sniffling, Stiles lowered his hands and blinked tiredly at the man sitting beside him. 

"Dad," he whispered before he threw his arms around his father and pressed his face into his shoulder. "D-d-dad, I'm s-s-so s-s-sorry. I-I don't k-k-know what h-happened."

"Hey, shhhh, it's okay," John soothed, wrapping his arms around his boy and rocking him slowly. "You're okay. It's okay. You're safe now. That's all that's important."

Stiles only gripped his father tighter, trembling violently in his arms. They remained like that for several minutes with John rubbing Stiles's back in comfort until the teen's tears finally slowed. When they stopped, he slumped tiredly against his dad's shoulder, turning his head slightly so he could breathe. John remained still, letting his son gather himself before he had to ask the questions he knew were coming.

"Stiles?" John asked after several minutes of quiet sniffling. "Kiddo, what do you remember from tonight?"

Stiles was silent before pushing himself off his dad's shoulder. He rubbed weakly at his face before looking at him. "I-I don't know. After you left, I finished my homework and I was tired so I went to bed. I don't...it felt...it was like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from. The next thing I knew I was in some kind of basement."

John hated seeing his son so unsure, so afraid. "You don't remember getting in your jeep and driving anywhere?" Stiles shook his head. "You don't remember walking out into the woods?"

Again, Stiles shook his head. "I don't remember anything until the McCalls pulled me out. I could have sworn I was in that basement. Someone was holding me there. I was so sure. It did felt real. I can't explain it. I-I think I even called Scott but-but I'm not sure." He sucked in another shuddering breath. His eyes watering again. "It doesn't feel real."

"Okay. It's okay," John comforted, reaching for his son as Stiles started to get more upset. "We'll figure this out together, okay? I promise. Everything's going to be okay."

Stiles folded into his arms again. "I'm scared, Dad," he whispered.

John only hugged him tighter. "I know, kiddo. I know. I'm scared, too."

He pulled away and looked at his son's pale, distressed face. He used his thumbs to wipe away the tears from his raw, cold cheeks. Exhaustion now appeared even more apparent on the teen's face and he was reminded of the call from Melissa only a few days ago letting him know his son had come to the hospital on the edge of total exhaustion, wanting to see their family doctor. She had given him a sedative then and he had slept most of the day and into the night in the hospital under her watch. Stiles looked even worse tonight with his bloodshot eyes, red nose, and chapped lips. They had to of washed his face because he couldn't imagine Stiles being this clean after spending part of the night in the woods. He was blinking heavily like he was having a hard time keeping his eyes open.

"Why don't you lay down, kiddo? Get some sleep," he suggested gently.

Immediately, Stiles shook his head. “No. I don’t want to sleep. I don’t know what will happen if I go to sleep. I don’t know what I’ll do.”

John leaned forward and kissed his son on his forehead. Stiles looked up startled. They were big on hugs, always had been but forehead kisses had faded out the older he had gotten though they still appeared whenever he was very sick. John smoothed back his hair. “It’ll be alright, kid. I’m not going anywhere so if you start sleepwalking again, I’ll be right here to stop you from going far, okay? I won’t leave you alone, but kiddo, you need sleep. You’re exhausted and you’re suffering from hypothermia.”

The teen sighed, watching his father’s face, and after a couple of minutes, he nodded slowly. He was tired and very, very cold. John slid off the bed as Stiles slumped back against the pillows, sliding down until he was in a more comfortable position. He pulled the blankets up to Stiles’s chest where the teen tucked his arms under the blankets to warm up. As Stiles settled and then watched him, John combed his fingers through his son’s dark hair, lightly massaging his fingers into his scalp. He kept up the movement for several minutes until Stiles’s eyes slowly closed and he finally fell asleep. Relieved now that his boy was asleep, John leaned down and kissed his forehead a second time. This time the gesture was more for him than Stiles. After watching him sleep for several minutes, he made sure that the blankets were settled around Stiles and that the teen was deeply asleep before walking out the room. He shut the door quietly behind him and leaned against it to gather his emotions and his thoughts. After a minute, he headed to the little group waiting for word on Stiles’s condition. He sighed almost defeatedly when McCall, Melissa, Scott, and Lydia all looked up at him.

“He’s sleeping now,” John informed them. “And he’s just fine.”

 

* * *

 

Stiles slept through the remainder of the night, thanks in part to the sedative John asked Melissa to give him. It gave John time to reassign some deputies to cover him for the next day and to go home briefly and change so he could stay with his son like he promised. He hated leaving him especially after reassuring him that he wasn't leaving but Melissa swore she wouldn't leave the floor he was on. John made it back to the hospital in only an hours, relieved when he walked back into the room and Stiles was still breathing deeply and even. He hadn't even moved at all in sleep.

John sat in a chair beside the bed and watched his son sleep. He felt slightly sick as he held his little notepad that he always carried around in his hands. He didn't open it. He already knew what it said. Insomnia. Night Terrors. Dissociative. Confusion. Impulsive. Hallucinations. Now he had to add sleepwalking to the list. He probably should have added it a week ago but then Stiles seemed to all but quit sleeping and the insomnia replaced it. He knew where this was leading, had seen it before but the Sheriff wasn't ready to admit it yet. Didn't want to acknowledge that he had seen these symptoms before. He was hoping that it was just a result of his son sacrificing himself for him. The shock of what he did combined with his head injury from the car wreck he had apparently gotten in. Not this. Anything but this.

John watched his son sleep for hours trying to figure out another explanation for what was happening to his boy. He had already been prepared to stay awake all night because of his night shift. Now, he was simply keeping his promise and making sure that Stiles stayed put. Stiles shift slightly in his sleep but for the most part remained in one spot, a testament to how completely exhausted he was. He had just made the call to the school excusing his son's absence when a knock on the door drew his attention. After checking to ensure Stiles was still sleeping, he opened it to see a nervous Melissa standing there. She wasn't in her nurse's scrubs and instead in her normal clothes. She must have the day off.

"Can I talk to you a second? About Stiles," she said softly.

"Of course," he replied, stepping back to let her in but she shook her head. 

"Out here. I don't want to risk waking him up."

"You mean, you don't want him to hear what you have to say," John said knowingly. She gave him a small smile and a huff of laughter as she nodded. He stepped out the doorway into the hall, leaving the door open and standing opposite of her so he could keep an eye on his son. He already had a sneaking suspicion on what she wanted to tell him.

Melissa quietly told him about when Stiles had come to her a few days ago. When she had called him that day, it was simply to let him know his son was fine. It hadn't been until later when she matched his symptoms with his mother’s. Now as she got to the part about his symptoms, she paused and took a deep breath. He stopped her and showed her his own little list. He knew what she was going to say. Looking back in the room at his sleeping son, he finally admitted they needed to run some tests.

Melissa agreed sadly and went in search of Dr. Gardiner. John leaned against the doorway and just stared at his son in the dark hospital room. He couldn't do this again. He couldn't watch his last remaining family die from this disease again. He couldn't watch his son, his crazy, hyperactive, smart, incredible boy, deteriorate the way he watched his wife deteriorate. He wasn't strong enough. Taking a tired breath, he walked into the room and shut the door. He sat on the edge of the bed for several minutes before reaching out and running a hand over Stiles's hair. His son kept on sleeping but he still felt cold to John. He slid off the bed and tugged the blanket back up to his chest, reaching down and absently rubbing his hand over his cold arm. Anything to help. After a few minutes rubbing that arm, he moved to the other side of the bed and repeated the process before settling in the chair next to his bed.

Stiles didn't wake up until after 12:30. John stood in the doorway, talking over the tests they would be running with Dr. Gardiner and Melissa. He was thankful that Melissa had decided to stay and help even though she was off today. Her support and knowledge of both Claudia’s illness and Stiles in general helped more than he would ever be able to put into words. Dr. Gardiner was explaining the bloodwork they would be doing and the MRI when a sound behind him caused him to turn around. His son had groaned as he dragged himself back to consciousness. He pushed himself back up on his elbows and rubbed at his eyes. John stepped back into the room.

“Hey, kiddo,” he said softly. “How are you feeling?”

Stiles squinted up at him, eyes trying to blink away the sleep. “Hey Dad. I’m okay.” He didn’t sound sure though. He spotted Melissa and Dr. Gardiner through the doorway and realized where he was but couldn't remember why he was at the hospital. “What’s going on? When can I go home?”

John gave him a sad smile. “Probably tomorrow. The doctor and I want to run some tests today. See if we can’t figure out what’s going on.”

Stiles sat up and looked closer at his dad. He could see the exhaustion on his father’s face and the terror of last night suddenly came back to him in full force. He felt his stomach drop and his heart stop as he realized what they were looking for. He knew the symptoms, had known for years. They had always been hiding in the back of his mind. He looked down at his hands, fighting the tears that sprang to his eyes. John saw the realization and the tears and put a hand over his boy’s intertwined hands. He didn’t know what else to say as a soft knock drew their attention.

“Good afternoon, Stiles,” Dr. Gardiner said from the doorway. “How are you feeling today?”

The teen swallowed down his tears and his fear. “I’m okay, I think.”

“No pain? Are you warm enough?”

The teen shook his head. “No pain. I’m okay.”

“Okay, please let the nurses or myself know if there is any problems or you get cold again. Now, has your dad told you about the tests?”

Stiles nodded and John squeezed his hands again, rubbing his thumb against the top of his hand.

“They are going to last all afternoon but I want you to eat first. Nothing too big but it will help sustain you over the afternoon. We’ll be doing an assortment of tests including bloodwork and later today we’ll be doing an MRI.” Stiles bit his lip and nodded again. It’s not like he really had a choice. The doctor smiled at him reassuringly. “You’ll be fine. I’m going to go get your lunch ordered. Then, Rebecca will be in to get some blood. Okay?”

Stile agreed quietly and the doctor left, leaving John and Melissa in the room with the teen. The nurse smiled when his gaze was directed at her. “They won’t be bad and your dad and I can stay with you if you want.”

“You don’t mind?” Stiles asked softly. Melissa leaned down and hugged him in response and he sighed against her shoulder. The nurse had been the closest thing to a mother he had since Claudia’s mental state had deteriorated. The fear that that very thing could happen to him suddenly hit him hard and he sucked in a breath. John heard it and saw his son’s face. He rubbed his back comfortingly. Determined to think of something else, he said softly “Thank you for finding me last night.”

Melissa smiled as she pulled away. “I wish I could take credit for it but unfortunately we have Scott’s dad to thank for that. He was the one that figured out where to find you.” 

Stiles vaguely remembered both McCalls being there but he scrunched his nose. “Crap. I guess that means I have to start being nice to him.”

John chuckled. “You and me both, kid.”

“Where’s Scott?” Stiles asked, trying not to think about what was looming.

“I sent him to school. He’ll be by later,” Melissa answered. 

Stiles nodded and fell silent. He didn’t know what to say anymore. He was scared, tired, and cold. John seemed to notice and reached out, running a hand over his hair. “Talk to us, kid. What’s going through that head of yours?”

Stiles only shook his head, rubbing at one of his arms. “Nothing, I’m fine. A little cold but I’m okay.”

John gave him a disbelieving look and the teen sighed. He looked back down at his hands, picking at the skin around his fingers. He didn’t know what to say. He didn’t know what they wanted him to say. They all knew what the tests were for and none of them wanted to say it out loud. So Stiles did what he did best. Diversion.

“My feet are still cold. Do we have any socks?”

Melissa and John exchanged knowing looks. They knew exactly what the teen was doing. John smiled at his son. “Yeah, I went home last night after you went to sleep to change and pick you up a change of clothes.”

Melissa excused herself out of the room so the teen could change into a pair of sweats under the hospital gown and then pull on a pair of socks with John watching in case he needed help. He was sitting back on the bed when she knocked on the door.

“Lunch is here, sweetie,” she said opening the door for the nurse carrying the tray.  
Stiles frowned. He wasn’t really hungry but the look on both Melissa’s and John’s faces told him he wasn’t going to get away with not eating something. The fact was he hadn’t really been hungry in several weeks, eating only when he absolutely needed to. He blanched even more when he saw that the doctor had ordered him a small plate of chicken with small helpings of vegetables. Substantial food to last him through the tests. Suddenly, the teen felt very tired. 

Somehow, he managed to eat a little less than half of the chicken and a couple spoonfuls of the vegetables before he had to quit. His dad seemed content with that and didn’t say anything when he pushed the tray away. With nothing to do, he relaxed against the pillows while he half listened to his dad asking Melissa questions about the tests. He was actually considering dozing off when a knock on the door announced the arrival of Rebecca.

“Hey, I’m here to take the blood to start the bloodwork,” she said, setting her little tray onto Stiles’s tray. “It won’t take long.”

Stiles eyed the kit she brought in. There was a long needle and several vials. “How much blood are you going to take?”

“Just five vials. Dr. Gardiner wants enough to check for everything as well as your iron levels and see if there are deficiencies.” She smiles encouragingly at the teen who looked nervously at his dad and Melissa.

John stood from his chair and walked back to his son’s side. He put his hand on his back and rubbed it a little. “It’ll be fine.”

Stiles took a deep breath to fortify himself and allowed Rebecca to prepare his arm. She tied a rubber strip around and rubbed a small square of alcohol on his arm. Then, after finding a vein, she filled five vials with the teen’s blood. Then she slid the needle out and pressed a cotton ball in it’s place wrapping a bandage around it to hold it in place. Finished, she looked up and winked at him. 

“Just for a little while,” she said when he scratched at the bandage. Then, with a nod to Melissa and John, left. Stiles slumped back against the pillows.

Melissa stepped out for a moment and John sat on Stiles’s bedside. The teen cracked his eyes open and sighed. “So what’s next?”

For the next four hours, Stiles was put through several tests. His dad and Melissa remained with him through as much of it as they could. By the time he was returned to his room, he was cranky and tired. He couldn’t get the thought that he might have his mother’s disease out of his head. At the same time, his night terror from just last night loomed in his head, the riddle circling around and around. He had been so sure that it had been real, that he had been trapped in some unknown basement. Was it possible that what had been happening to him was part of supernatural related? He didn’t know anymore. Both scenarios were terrifying.

Stiles dozed for about an hour after he finally returned to his room but it wasn’t peaceful. His thoughts were too full and too dark. He woke up when his dad lightly shook his shoulder. “Stiles, Scott’s here. Also, they’ll be taking you down for the MRI shortly.”

Stiles blinked sleepily at him and nodded, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He managed a small smile at his friend but Scott could see the lines of worry in his face and the paleness of his face.

“Hey, dude,” Scott greeted him. “How are you doing?”

“I’m good. Ready to get out of this place.” Stiles answered sitting up. 

“Aw c’mon. Don’t you like the constant company and wonderful food?” Scott teased, trying to lighten the mood a little.

Stiles snorted. Then, he went silent for a couple of minutes. “Was it bad last night?”

Scott paused and looked at the ground for a moment before nodding. “Yeah. It was bad. You sounded so scared last night and then, we couldn’t find you.”

Stiles shook his head. “I have no idea how it all happened.”

“We’ll figure it out. I promise.”

Stiles frowned and opened his mouth to confess his other fear when the door opened and John and Melissa came in with a nurse wheeling in a wheelchair. He snapped his mouth closed.

“Time for the MRI, kiddo,” John said almost apologetically. 

Stiles stared at the wheelchair. He knew what this meant. This test would be the one to tell him whether what was wrong with him was supernatural or medical. He was terrified of both options. Memories of his mother battled with memories of his night terror and he felt his breath quicken. Scott looked over at him confused as he could hear his best friend’s heartbeat speed up but before he could do anything, John put a hand on his son’s shoulder.

“Stiles? Stiles, look at me,” he commanded. The teen turned wide eyes to his father. “No matter what happens, no matter what the results say, we’ll get through this together, alright?”

John held his gaze and slowly, Stiles nodded as his heartbeat settled. With a sigh, he moved from the bed to the wheelchair and the little group headed out. Melissa gestured for Scott to follow. 

“Come on,” she said with a small smile. “You can stay with him until we start.”

Scott gave her one of his patented puppy dog looks and followed the group down the halls. Stiles tried to steady his breathing. He had a very bad feeling about this as they turned down hallways. When they finally entered the room, the doctor hadn’t arrived yet. Stiles sat on the bed with Scott standing beside him, neither one talking. The tension was thick in the air when the doctor walked in with Stiles’s chart in his hand. John went to talk to him. Of course, his real name came up which only made him roll his eyes. He made a mental note to have his name changed permanently to Stiles. No one could really pronounce his name but himself and his dad anyway.

His dad. When John returned to his side, it was like his father had aged in just a few hours. They both knew what the MRI was for and they both knew what it could mean. The very possibility made him want to cry. John and Melissa followed the doctor out, leaving him alone with Scott. Alone with the teen he considered his brother, Stiles found himself confessing what they were looking for. Scott knew. Of course, Scott knew. He had seen the devastation left by Claudia’s disease, had seen the effects it had on Stiles. He also knew that Stiles had always secretly feared getting the disease. He wouldn’t lose his best friend like that. He wouldn’t let his brother lose the very thing that made Stiles Stiles. His brain, his intelligence, his memory. So the werewolf made a promise that he would do something. The one thing Stiles had never asked for and never indicated he wanted. With tears in his eyes, Stiles nodded and the pair hugged tightly. Stiles hugging tightly for strength. Scott for comfort. Finally, Scott left so they run the test.

As the nurse who had wheeled him through the hallways helped him get settled, Stiles couldn’t help the panic feeling from rising again. The bad feeling returned with a vengeance. It felt even stronger than before and the teen struggled to take a deep breath. He had a bad feeling something was going to happen tonight. Something that would change everything. He was slid into the MRI machine and the teen took deep breaths to settle himself. It worked for awhile, the machine humming around him taking pictures of his brain scans but about halfway through the test, he could no longer suppress the fear or the panic. A darkness gripped his thoughts. Something was happening. Everything was about to change. Breathing hard, Stiles squeezed his eyes closed.


End file.
